Summer 2016
Dear Room 107 Student,
My name is Ms. O’Malley, and I am so excited to be your
teacher this year. I hope you are as excited as I am for the first day of school.
This is my 12th year at Elmwood, and I love teaching.
You will love the third grade! This year is full of fun learning
experiences. For example, we will study plants, rocks and minerals, the
Pilgrims, and the American Revolution. We will also learn multiplication and
division. Over this school year, we will read many wonderful stories and
become published writers! In third grade you will switch classes for science or
social studies. This year your switch teacher will be the amazing Mrs. Mack!
In Room 107, we focus on CARES. That stands for Cooperation,
Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control. CARES will help us
build a classroom community of learners who treat each other with kindness
and respect.
I can’t wait to learn more about you. Here’s a little bit about me. I am a
mom to an eight-month-old baby boy named Teddy. He is so much fun and I
look forward to sharing stories about him with you at Morning Meeting. Do
you like to read? I love reading and it is one of my favorite subjects to teach. I
also love to spend time at the beach in Cape Cod with my extended family, my
husband, and my baby-boy, Teddy.
Included with this letter is the Elmwood Third Grade Supply List. Please
read it carefully with your parents, as I have made some important notes. I
can’t wait to meet you on August 31st. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Your new teacher,
Ms. O’Malley
Everyone CARES in Room 107!
Room 107 Supply List
Please be sure to bring all supplies, along with a snack, on the first
day of school. I recommend labeling your personal supplies such as your
headphones.
! 2 boxes of tissues
! 1 box of band aids
! (for boys only) 1 roll of paper towels
! (for girls only) 1 pump bottle of hand sanitizer
! 1 black and white composition notebook
! 1 durable, plastic-coated pocket folder
! 1 box of Crayola crayons (24 count)
! 1 box of sharpened colored pencils (24 count)
! 1 set of Crayola watercolor paints
! 1 1.5” 3 ring binder for math games and activities
! 1 yellow highlighter
! 1 pair of 5” children’s scissors
! 2 large erasers
! 1 small hand-held pencil sharpener
! 1 small soft pencil case to hold personal school supplies*
! 1 set of KidzControl Volume Limit headphones or kid sized ear buds**
The following supplies are shared with the class. Please take them out of their
packaging and bring them in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.
! 24 sharpened #2 pencils
! 3 Elmer’s large glue sticks
! 4 black dry erase markers
*Your soft pencil case must be able to fit inside your desk! If it is too big, I will
have to send it home. !
** Here are some places to find headphones or ear buds:
http://www.gearforkidz.com/shop2.html
www.amazon.com
August 1, 2016
Dear Room 107 Families,
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be your child’s third grade teacher.
Together I hope we can make this year a great success for your child and all the
children in our class.
At this point, I would like to tell you a little bit about my approach to
teaching. I will be using the Responsive Classroom approach to elementary
teaching. This approach emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a
strong and safe classroom community. My goal is to enable optimal student
learning and success. This is my 12th year teaching in the Hopkinton Public
Schools and I am excited to be part of your child’s elementary school experience.
Third grade is an amazing year filled with exciting learning opportunities.
One of the first activities our class will be doing is to set goals for our school
year. We will call these goals our hopes and dreams for third grade. I invite you
to participate in this activity by sharing your hopes and dreams for your child.
Please take some time to answer the questions on the sheets enclosed with this
letter. I look forward to working closely with you throughout this school year.
Please send the enclose questionnaire back with your child by September
1st. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Laura O’Malley
Parent Questionnaire
Student’s Name: _______________________________
Parents’ Names: _________________________________________________
1. In your opinion, what was your child’s most important accomplishment last
school year?
2. What are your academic goals for your child this school year?
3. What are your social and emotional goals for your child this school year?
4. Is there any other information you would like me to know about your child
or your family as we begin this school year?